City Circle Theatre Company's “Come from Away" at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts -- September 11 through 20.
Friday, September 11, through Sunday, September 20
Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, 1301 Fifth Street, Coralville IA
Lauded by the New York Times as a "big bearhug of a musical" in which "even the most stalwart cynics may have trouble staying dry-eyed," the Tony Award-winning Come from Away enjoys a September 11 through 22 at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts. Presented by City Circle Theatre Company, this deeply moving entertainment is being staged in honor of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and was hailed by Broadway World as "inspiring, funny, and kick-ass beautiful.”
A seven-time Tony nominee that won for Christopher Ashley's direction, Come from Away chronicles the real-life experiences of the people of Gander, Newfoundland, and the almost 7,000 airline passengers who were forced to land there when U.S. air space was closed on September 11, 2001. Twelve actors tell the story of both the Islanders and what become known as the Plane People, revealing the fear and uncertainty that came with the terrorist attacks – as well as the profound generosity and compassion of strangers. While some characters and stories are an amalgamation of several people and experiences, others are grounded in real-life individuals, such as Captain Beverly Bass, the first female captain for American Airlines; Kevin Tuerff and Kevin Jung; a couple from Los Angeles; and Nick and Diane, who first met in Gander and went on to fall in love.
With its book, music, and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, the Come From Away score blends both traditional musical theatre styles (“Me and the Sky,” “Stop the World”) as well as traditional Newfoundland orchestrations (“Heave Away,” “Screech In”); as stated in Entertainment Weekly, "In 100 heartwarming minutes, the show sets the best aspects of human nature to infectious Celtic folk and Broadway rock" Along with acting out the events of the four days, the show's characters step out from the story to narrate the events, and the staging is intentionally minimalist, making innovative use of only a few tables and 12 chairs to represent airplanes, buses, and various locations within Gander.
Serving as Come from Away's director and scenic designer is longtime City Circle favorite Elizabeth Tracey, whose previous musicals for the company have included School of Rock: The Musical, Anastasia, and Spring Awakening. Luna Drollinger is music director for the show, with additional members of Tracey's creative team including: choreographer Shelby Zukin; stage manager Jared Kiebel; assistant stage managers Meg Cook and Zack Kenyon; lighting designer Hans Hinrichsen; and costume designer Emily Hanna. A dozen gifted area performers, meanwhile, compose the Come from Away ensemble, all of them assuming several roles apiece: Mary Denmead; Bryant Duffy; Rebecca Fields-Moffitt; Jen Ford; Carolina Isleib; Tom Ogilvie; Brian Peterson; Sydney Ray; Joe Roselund; Greg Smith; Finley Stevens; and Tricia Waechter.
City Circle Theatre Company's Come from Away runs at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts from September 11 through 20, with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Admission is $20-35, and more information and tickets are available by calling (319)248-9370 and visiting CoralvilleArts.org.
